There are lots of options when it comes to paying for college — including federal and state financial aid. And, if you’re an eligible undergraduate student, you may be able to get a grant that does not need to be paid back (unlike student loans).
The U.S. Department of Education, the state of West Virginia, WVU Parkersburg, private industries and organizations offer a variety of financial aid and tuition assistance programs. At WVU Parkersburg, we have aid left over, because students simply did not apply! For more information on your eligibility, please visit Federal Student Aid.
Federal Student Aid
The U.S. Department of Education awards over $100 billion annually for college tuition, fees, books, and other expenses. You may be eligible to receive federal aid to help you pay for your college education. Federal financial aid comes in many forms, including grants, student loans, and work-study programs.
- Eligibility: Available to undergraduate students who demonstrate financial need and have not yet earned a bachelor or professional degree.
- Award Determination: The amount of a student’s Pell Grant is based on the Student Aid Index (SAI), generated by the student’s FAFSA and based on the student’s family situation. Financial Aid offers typically show the maximum possible amount of Pell Grant that a student can receive if they enroll full-time.
- Purpose: The Pell Grant can be used to cover tuition, fees, textbooks, and any other education-related expenses. Unlike student loans, Pell generally does not have to be repaid.
- Availability of funding: Students who meet all eligibility criteria and enroll in an eligible degree-program will receive funding. The number of students who can receive the grant is not limited.
- Eligibility: Available only to Pell Grant recipients determined to have the highest level of financial need (SAI of -1,500), and preference is given to the earliest FAFSA
- Award Determination: Funding is very limited in this program, so recipients are selected based on the date we receive their FAFSA
- Purpose: SEOG funds can be used to cover tuition, fees, textbooks, and any other education-related expenses. Like the Pell grant, SEOG funding generally does not have to be repaid.
- Availability of funding: Again, funding is very limited (typically $60,000-$80,000 per year).
- Eligibility: Available to students who demonstrate financial need. Financial need is determined by the information the student provides on their FAFSA.
- Award Determination: Funding is limited in this program, so work study employment positions are limited.
- Purpose: Work Study funds are paid to students over time as hourly wages for hours worked in an eligible job. Work study financial aid awards do not apply directly to the student’s tuition and fee charges.
- Availability of funding: Funding is limited (typically $60,000-$80,000 per year).
Purpose: Federal student loans can be used to cover tuition, fees, textbooks, and any other education-related expenses up to the amount of the student’s cost of attendance. All Federal student loans must be repaid, and should be accepted only after all grants, scholarships, and work study opportunities have been exhausted.
Availability of Funding: All students who complete a FAFSA, meet the minimum eligibility criteria, and enroll in an eligible degree program may borrow student loans. The total amount that a student may borrow each year is limited both by the financial aid budget, and by federal loan limits based on the student’s grade level. For details about federal loan limits, visit www.studentaid.gov or click the link below:
Annual Federal Student Loan Limits
There are three types of Federal Direct loans.
Subsidized student loans – borrowed by the student, student is responsible to repay the loan debt.
- Eligibility: Available to students enrolled in a minimum of six (6) credit hours who demonstrate financial need. Students must have unmet need in their financial aid budget, referred to as “cost of attendance.”
- Award Determination: Loan amounts depend on the student’s other financial aid offers, and on the stated federal loan limits based on grade level. No financial aid can be offered in excess of the student’s cost of attendance.
Unsubsidized student loans – borrowed by the student, student is responsible to repay the loan debt.
- Eligibility: Available to students enrolled in a minimum of six (6) credit hours and have unmet need in their cost of attendance. Financial need is not considered. Eligible students of all income levels qualify to borrow this type of loan.
- Award Determination: Loan amounts depend on the student’s other financial aid offers, and on the stated federal loan limits based on grade level. No financial aid can be offered in excess of the student’s cost of attendance.
Parent PLUS loans – borrowed by the parent, parent is responsible to repay the loan. A student and their parent may make personal arrangements for the student to repay the loan, but ultimately the parent borrower is responsible for the loan debt.
- Eligibility: Available to parents of students enrolled in a minimum of six (6) credit hours who have unmet need in their cost of attendance. Parent borrowers must pass a credit check in order to borrow, and must be in good standing with Federal Student Aid (no federal student loan defaults).
- Award Determination: Loan amounts depend on the student’s other financial aid offers, and on the student’s cost of attendance. No financial aid can be offered in excess of the student’s cost of attendance.
State Financial Aid for College
There are state financial aid programs to help residents pay for their college education. You may be eligible for state-funded grants or loans, depending on need and program requirements. Please adhere to the eligibility considerations application deadlines, rules, and requirements for each.
Available to students who are WV residents enrolled in 3-11 credit hours. Limited funding restricts number of recipients, and the grant is offered on a first come, first serve basis. Students’ eligibility will be evaluated after they apply. The grant is not typically awarded until after the semester begins, to ensure that the student did enroll part-time.
Spring 2025 HEAPS Grant Application
Summer 2025 HEAPS Grant Application
Fall 2025 HEAPS Grant Application
For more information about the HEAPS grant program, please visit https://www.cfwv.com/financial-aid/heaps-grant/.
West Virginia Invests is a last-dollar-in financial aid program available at participating two or four-year public institutions in West Virginia. This program is designed to cover the cost of tuition, mandatory fees and academic program fees for certificate or associate degree programs in specific high-demand fields, as determined by the West Virginia Department of Commerce. For more information, click here.
The West Virginia Nursing Scholarship program is for LPN, RN, LPN teaching certificate, and master’s or doctoral nursing education students. In exchange for receiving the scholarship, participants agree to complete a service obligation in West Virginia. The program is a joint project by the West Virginia Center for Nursing and the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission. For more information, click here.
The West Virginia Engineering, Science and Technology (WV STEM) Scholarship Program is a student financial aid program designed to enable and encourage academically talented individuals to pursue careers in the fields of engineering, science and technology in West Virginia. For more information, click here.